Raised
by SakuraRose13
Summary: Sakura is a child with no father. Kakashi is a father with no child. Together, they'll change everything. Kakashi finds Sakura and raises her. Starts off Platonic later turns Romantic. Rated M later on.
1. Chapter 1 Meeting

Chapter 1

* * *

_The pain on her face was evident. The fear and panic on his was clear-cut. He ran to her, not minding the kunai and shruikans being thrown in his direction. He dodged them with ease but exhaustion caused his concentration to falter. The consequence of this was a kunai straight into his leg. He faltered but otherwise kept going, ignoring the pain. He finally reached her and held her in his arms, his throat too constricted for words. She just stared up at him, eyes full of tears from the pain or from the sorrow, he didn't know. Her neck was covered in blood from the cut to it. He didn't know if she would make it, but from the way she looked at him with the sad eyes, it said it all. He held her closer as blue eyes and dark brown stared at the scene before them. Kakashi could speak no words but with some effort managed to choke out a few. "Oh dear gods Rin…"_

* * *

18-year-old Kakashi's eyes snapped open as the scene continued to play over in his head. He hadn't had this dream in years and having it now frightened him. Or alarmed him for Kakashi would never dare to admit he was scared. He laid there, wondering why his dream had come up at a time like this. Maybe he was nervous about something, or at least a little antsy. He contemplated the dream for a minute more before heading to the shower to get ready for the day. After an hour long shower, Kakashi was ready to face anything. As he was getting ready to leave his apartment he noticed something on his calendar that shook him to the bone. Tomorrow. "Shit." Came the quiet reply to the red X day. It would have officially been five years tomorrow. No wonder why he had the dream. Kakashi gave a small sigh before walking out the door to the Hokage's office.

"You'll be heading on a C-rank escort mission that should last you the rest of today, quite possibly leading into the night…" The Hokage droned on as the impatient young adult gazed solemnly around the room. Kakashi noticed the many books of various titles too troublesome to be named. His one lone, dark eye traveled every where and finally settled on the man before him. Before Kakashi could fully analyze the Hokage and jot down unique characteristics about him, a scroll was thrust into his hands and Kakashi was shooed out. After skimming through the details, Kakashi strolled out, the only thing he need was provisions and his new obsession, Icha Icha...

He literally dragged himself home, every step aching more than the last one. He looked up to see he finally made it to the Hokage's office and stepped inside. It was well into the night but the light on inside the room proved that Kakashi had been right: the Hokage was still awake. Kakashi walked straight in and announced with some mustered gusto "Mission I'll give you a briefing tomorrow at 11 a.m." Before the Hokage could utter a few words about how Kakashi should head to the hospital to treat his wounds, Kakashi had preformed a seal and poofed out of the room. Kakashi arrived a few moments later in his bedroom of his apartment. With a loud flop he laid down on his bed and started to mutter "I'll sleep for five..."

Kakashi gradually woke up. He didn't know what woke him till he heard the light pattering of rain on the roof. As he began to register what that meant for the day, a flash of lightning brightened the room for a few moments before a roll of thunder followed. Kakashi realized it would probably be raining all day and that would mean he would have to visit the monument in the rain. Kakashi sighed before finally getting up and looking out the window. _Yup. It's official. Weather forecast, 100% chance of it raining __**all**__ day. _Kakashi scratched the back of his head causing the silver mess he calls hair to be put in further disarray. With a yawn Kakashi headed towards the shower and spent about an hour getting ready. When he finally stepped out, he noticed the clock on his nightstand. The time said 2:30 as a newly refreshed Kakashi stared at it. He realized he shouldn't have taken a shower but instead should have stayed in bed. With a small groan, he flopped down again and let consciousness slip from his grasp once more…

Kakashi awoke this time, fully rested but more groggily than before. This time, before assuming that it was time to get up, he looked over at the clock and willed his eye to focus. 7:48. Kakashi blinked several times as he registered what the bright green numbers meant. _The flower shop should be open by now. _came the first thought followed by ___The bakery should h__ave some anpan* ready. I should get some for Obito. He loved it. _Kakashi smiled at the memory of Obito stuffing his face with the dessert whenever he could. The memory faded but managed to leave behind a sort of peace. Without realizing what he was doing, Kakashi was over at his dresser and opening the top drawer. He slowly pulled out the photo he had been holding onto for 5 years. There stood Minato, Kakashi's sensei with his hand on his and Obito's head. Rin stood in the center, smiling shyly. He remembered how much he liked that smile. More memories stared to play before his eyes, Rin's shy flirting and Obito's rageful yelling at him when he flirted back. Many people had believed him when he said he didn't like the young medic, but some people could see past him like they were looking through a window. They knew he had harbored some feelings for the young medic, some that could possibly be developed into something more and real. But he knew Obito loved Rin and was afraid of rejection. Kakashi sighed as he put the picture back into the drawer to be locked up for who knows how much longer. He quickly got dressed; making sure it was nice enough to be seen out in public. Kakashi slipped on his mask (for he had taken it off to shower and had forgotten to put it back on) and slipped a kunai into his pants pocket and head out…

Kakashi gently walked to the memorial, a bouquet of flowers and some freshly backed anpan in one hand, an umbrella in the other to block the light drizzle of the rain. Kakashi was lost in his thoughts, thinking of the memories he had of the two he had lost…

_Rin stood in front of him, worry clouding those beautiful eyes he adored so much. The wound to his shoulder bleed profusely and refused to stop. Rin's hand gently glowed a light green and she gently stepped forward, silently whispering "Kakashi, let me help you…"_

_Obito was stuffing his face with anpan and *mochi ice cream, not even stopping for a breath in between. Kakashi stared at the 13-year-old before him and remembered how he thought "How come he's not fat?"…_

_Obito and Kakashi stood toe-to-toe, each with kunai in their hands, prepared to do anything to prove that the other is wrong. Rin was speaking in a rush, panic and worry causing her to act older than 13. Kakashi had noticed this and slipped his kunai back into its pouch with a gentle sigh. Obito, confused and still a little irritated, did the same. A relieved Rin fell onto the ground because she was so relieved…_

_Rin lying before him, slowly dying as she whispered words that had no meaning at the time. But when Kakashi looked back at it, he could have sworn he heard the word love…_

A bright pink speck brought Kakashi to his senses as he stood six to eight feet away from monument. The bright pink speck appeared to be a head of hair belonging to a young girl in a red dress with a white trim. Two white circles were on the little short sleeves and Kakashi actually heard himself say "Cute" out loud. But the rain had thankfully masked his voice for Kakashi had barely heard it himself. But what his highly trained ears did hear was small sniffles and some barely audible words. Kakashi walked forward, deciding to see what was wrong with the young girl. As he approached, he could hear he a little better but still barely. Kakashi cleared his throat and was about to speak when the girl shot up and started bowing at him. "I'm soo sorry! Please forgive me, please!" The young girl begged, "I'm moving right now, please, just forgive me for my carelessness!" The girl quickly scurried away, but she only moved to the other side of the monument. Kakashi stood speechless, not believing what had just happened. But the more he thought back to it, he noticed things about her. _"So… thin…" _Kakashi thought before going over to the other side silently and plopping down next to the girl. Before she could shoot up and start blabbering apologies, Kakashi handed the child the anpan he had been holding. He knew if Obito had been around to see him give it away, he would understand. The girl needed it more than him. She stared at the food before her eyes and the look on her face debated whether she should eat it or just hang onto it. "Eat it. You need to get some meat on your bones." Kakashi said as gently as he could. The child was still doubtful about trusting him. Kakashi sighed and pulled off a piece of the anpan and ate it. That was enough proof for the girl for soon she was stuffing her mouth in the same manner Obito had done. He watched with mild amusement as the anpan slowly disappeared. After she finished she sat back and let out a sigh. Before long, she was fast asleep, and Kakashi was watching her intently, not even blinking in fear she might disappear. She started to shiver though, and Kakashi knew being uncovered wasn't the best way to regain heat. Kakashi took off his jacket and was about to put it over her when he stopped for some reason. An idea came to his head and he figured it would help her better than a light jacket. Kakashi scooted closer to the girl until they were shoulder to shoulder. When he was that close he picked her up and set her on his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. _"God, she's freezing!" _Came the immediate reaction when he had finally had her settle. They sat like that for hours, minutes, or just moments, Kakashi just couldn't tell. He thought about taking her back to his apartment to get her dried off but thought better of it. She might panic when she saw she was in a strange place, or worse, she might get attached to him. He couldn't have that happen. He's already lost too many and he doesn't want another one to be lost. Kakashi decides, with a sigh, that he should take the young girl to the Hokage. When he got up, the girl stirred a little but otherwise kept still. Kakashi strolled along, holding this small child that already had a large impact on his life towards the one place he didn't want to take her. But, he knew he should. She should be with her family. He wondered how long they would be looking for her. As he entered the building he went straight to the bench outside the Hokage's office and set her down. He was bout to leave when her hand shot up and grabbed his shirt. He swung around to face her and looked deep into those eyes.

_Green._

Kakashi plopped down beside the girl and she quickly moved so her head was on Kakashi's lap. Those green eyes closed and the trance that held Kakashi before had disappeared. His mind was screaming for him to get up and leave, but his body would not listen and even acted on its own. He slowly ran his fingers through the candy-colored hair and found itself at a knot. Kakashi hadn't been pulling too hard but she still whimpered. Kakashi murmured an apology and gently began unraveling the knot. Tugging here, tugging there, and pulling strands away and so on. Kakashi kept to his work, not minding the stares or murmurs of curiosity as people passed them by. When he was finally called in, Kakashi gently shook the rose-haired girl and lead her into the office. "What the hell do you want Kakashi, can't you see I'm bu-" The Hokage started when he saw Kakashi walk into his office but immediately stopped when he saw the frightened child. "Kakashi, you found her!" The Hokage exclaimed and started forward to take the child away. But she didn't want to be separated by her new friend (should she even call him a friend?) and hid behind Kakashi, clinging to his leg tightly. Kakashi gave the confused man a sorry look and knelt down so he could speak to his little green eyed girl. "Now now, you go with the nice man. Go with him and go home, okay?" When the little girl didn't respond right away, Kakashi whispered in her ear, "If you go with him, I promise to bring you some candy tomorrow, 'kay?" The girl gave a small smile before totaling forward. The Hokage smiled and told the girl to wait outside. She looked at the young man before running out. After the Hokage was sure she was out of hearing range he immediately turned to the masked man and gave him a hard look. "Where did you find our little sakura flower, Mr. Hatake?" Kakashi shrugged and told him a slightly edited version of how he found the young girl. "Well, I guess I'll have to watch her a little more closely than before. And really, I never expected so much trouble from a young child…" The man trailed off and continued to look at Kakashi. When the silence became too much for him, Kakashi cleared his throat and asked the fateful question. "Will you be sending her back to her family?" The Hokage gave Kakashi a bewildered look before answering. "Don't you know? That's Sakura Haruno, Akiko and Sotaro Haruno's child. They died on an A-rank mission. Since they're both only childs, Sakura has been sent to the orphanage. But they asked me that if anything happened to them, if I would look after Sakura till she could find a new home." The words struck Kakashi right in the chest as he registered what that meant for the girl. Now, it all made sense… She would be forever alone, and even if she did find a new home she would never fit. Kakashi left in a hurry, the news shaking him to the very bone. He raced past everyone, the only destination he had in mind was home. He wanted to forget about everything. "_God, I'm so weak"_ was the first thought that came to his head. He finally came home and went to his trusty companion, his bed. _"I'm getting all worked up over one little girl. She'll find a home. She'll be loved. She'll be fed. She'll have a nice quiet life." _But Kakashi chuckled to himself, a bitter little laugh. _"Yeah, right. 80% of the population is made up of ninjas. And their fates are completely unpredictable. And if she was even adopted by a normal person with a normal job and a normal life, she wouldn't enjoy it. I would know. I saw that fire she had in her eyes."_ "What fire?" Came his quiet reply to his inner thought. "When you saw her at the monument, she looked like she was near death. I wonder if she's been eating…"

"_Of course not. You saw how thin she was."_

"But she could be naturally thin…"

"_No one, I repeat NO ONE, is that thin naturally. The Hokage is obviously forgetting to ask if she's hungry or told her to help herself and doesn't check to make sure she ate at least a cracker or something."_

"He would do that kind of thing…"

"_YOU'D take better care of her."_

Kakashi suddenly had an idea, but while one half his mind kept screaming for him to do it, the other half was literally tearing his internal organs apart with how mad it was with the idea. Kakashi silently warred with himselfover the idea and finally came to a compromise. With that Kakashi rushed out of the house with and to the Hokage's office for what seemed to be the hundredth time. But this time he rushed into the office to find the pink-haired girl gone (_"Probably back towards the orphanage."_) and the Hokage fast asleep slumped over his desk. Kakashi slammed the door, which awoke the man. After getting his eyes to focus, he hesitantly asked "Kakashi?" Kakashi wasted no time and blurted out the reason why he was here.

"I would like to adopt Sakura Haruno."

* * *

*Mochi Ice Cream- a traditional Japanese Dessert.. Mochi Ice Cream is sticky rice filled with ice cream flavoring.

*Anpan- a traditional Japanese dessert. It's basically bread stuffed with bean paste.

Reviews please!


	2. Chapter 2 Plans

Chapter 2

_Previously..._

After getting his eyes to focus, he hesitantly asked "Kakashi?" Kakashi wasted no time and blurted out the reason why he was here.

"I would like to adopt Sakura Haruno."

*Hokage P.O.V*

I stared at the man before me. "Adopt... Sakura... Haruno..." I slowly repeated, my mind trying the register what he had just said. Instantly, a kunai was in my hand and up against "Kakashi's" throat. "Who are you, and what the hell did you do to Kakashi Hatake?" I practically growled. This man had to be an imposter. What would the famous Copy Nin want with an innocent child? But, considering Sakura's lineage and how her parents were both in the ANBU squad, her mother a medic and her father a highly admired Jounin, anyone would want her on their side, for she could one day become a deadly weapon. "Don't be stupid, Hokage-sama, it is I, Kakashi Hatake, the great Copy-Nin, your dear friend, who knows everyone of your secrets." 'Kakashi' met my kunai with his own, both of our necks at risk. This man had the guts to be Kakashi, but what secrets did he know? He could have learned them through any source and using any means necessary…

*Third Person P.O.V*

Kakashi stood still for a few moments, ideas and thoughts racing, melding together, fighting, and screaming in his head. While he looked calm and collected, everything was moving a mile a minute, thoughts, secrets, and unknown knowledge was remembered as he thought of a viable way to prove he was the one and only Copy-Nin, Kakashi Hatake. He suddenly grinned under his mask, the biggest secret only him and the three walls (minus one because it was mostly windows) knew. "Porn…" Kakashi murmured gently, waiting to see the reaction on his face. When the Hokage stiffened with shock, Kakashi gained more confidence and screamed his secret. "You read porn when no one is watching! You have the entire Icha Icha series and carry one with you! At all times!" Kakashi was close to bursting as he watched the Hokage go from completely shocked to horrified to beet red in less then 3 seconds. He recovered quickly enough, but it took him long enough for Kakashi to be thoroughly amused. Hokage was completely embarrassed but had no doubt now that this was the real Kakashi Hatake before him. After calming his racing heart (and patching some of his pride) he let out a sigh and began his interrogation. "I now have no doubt that you are the real Kakashi Hatake, but what I don't get is why you have taken an interest in Sakura. Up until now, you probably had no idea she existed." Kakashi shifted his weight, suddenly feeling shy and uncomfortable. After shifting through some plausible excuses he told him, "I need to take care of my good deed for the year." While the Hokage could see through the lie quite easily, he decided to play along with him, see where this would take him.

"Kakashi, we both know you're not of the fatherly sorts…"

"AH!" Kakashi quickly interrupted, "But, I'm still a child by your standards and can relate to them. I can understand Sakura Haruno better than all of you. We do have similar backgrounds."

"I'm sorry Kakashi, but no dice. I don't think I can trust her with you. You're too young and I highly doubt your place is safe enough for a child to live. And you're a ninja, you're fate is unpredictable; you could die tomorrow, in 5 years, or just of natural causes. Hell, even ten minutes from now."

"And that is where I'm willing to make a deal."

The Hokage was instantly intrigued by this thought. "What kind of deal, Kakashi?" The Hokage asked, curious to see where this would lead him. Kakashi stared deep into the Hokage's eyes, smirking gently. '_Hook, line, and sinker'_ Kakashi thought. Kakashi took a deep breath, for he knew he would need it, and placed down his bargain.

"You see, Hokage-sama, this is what I'll willing to do. If you give me three days, I will have my home spic-and-span and perfectly kid safe. If a social worker comes and confirms that it's given the 'all-clear', you will let Miss Haruno stay with me. After two weeks, you can come and check on her, along with the social worker. If you believe that we are incompatible, I will step down. If we are perfect, _you _will step down. Do we have a deal, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage stared at the extended towards him. The Hokage noticed that Kakashi had some holes in his plan, but the holes were small and that was all he needed. The Hokage smirked and shook Kakashi's hand, deciding to tear his little plan apart. Kakashi gave him a friendly eye crease before heading to the door. Kakashi turned around and faced the Hokage just before closing the door. "Oh, and one more thing, Hokage-sama. If you plan to bribe the social worker, I'll kick you're ass so hard you won't be able to walk straight for a year." With that being said and done, Kakashi walked out. The Hokage-sama, who slightly feared Kakashi, slammed his fist on the desk and yelled, "Damn it!"

* * *

And that was that. Within three days, the house transformed from complete mess to a house that would put Martha Stewart to shame. The kitchen was stocked with food and recipe books, pots and pans located and Kakashi even practiced how to cook (with the help Anko). The living room was cleaned and any spare shruikans and kunai were hidden in the drawer of his desk, under lock-and-key. The couch was repositioned and the T.V. set had some channels locked and any recording he had watched before were deleted (for he liked to watch Porn and Horror movies, not the greatest combination for a soon-to-be-dad). All his Icha Icha books were moved into the bookcase in his room, but were soon placed in a large container bin, hidden in his closet, along with most of his ninja gear (medical supplies were placed in the bathroom in case of an emergency). The bathroom was cleaned up and Kakashi cleared out the guest bedroom he uses as a computer room. Kakashi's bedroom was rather big, but his mobility was cut down majorly when he put the desk and computer beside his wardrobe. All that was left was to buy some toys and clothes for the new arrival, but he figured the Hokage would give him the clothes and some of her toys. Kakashi was now waiting for the Hokage to come by with the social worker and get the search done.

***DING-DONG-DING*  
**

Kakashi scrambled up and raced to the door. He opened it slowly and positively beamed at the scowling Hokage and the solemn looking social worker. The social worker had caramel-brown hair and bright amber eyes. She was smiling slightly, but her eyes shifted around like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Where's Sakura?"

Kakashi inquired. The Hokage jerked his head to behind him, indicating somewhere down a ways where Sakura was being watched by more social workers. Kakashi chuckled before letting out a rather loud whistle, attracting the attention of anyone within a ten foot radius. Sakura turned around immediately, squealing excitedly when she saw Kakashi. She ran up the stairs, two at a time (_How she managing to run that fast on so little legs?_) and glomped Kakashi. From the momentum of Sakura running, Kakashi managed to fall flat on his but with Sakura in his lap. Kakashi, Sakura, and the social worker burst out laughing. Kakashi gently stood up, Sakura clinging to his back. The Hokage scowl deepened even more. He won't admit it out loud, but he was jealous that Kakashi was getting all this attention from Sakura.

"Shouldn't you be exploring the apartment, _Hokage-sama?"_

The Hokage snapped out of his thoughts and sent the young man a fierce look. Kakashi seemed unfazed and carried Sakura, on his back, to the kitchen where he gave her some candy he had bought yesterday. "I know I promised to give you candy three days ago, but I thought it'd be better to give it to you now." Kakashi said to the innocent five year old as he rummaged around, looking for the candy he so desperately searched for in the store. After he found what he wanted, Kakashi pulled out…

"Cherry Blossoms!"*

Sakura was practically pleading for him to give her the candy. Kakashi watched as the Sakura devoured the branch. While Kakashi and Sakura were busy in the kitchen, the social worker wandered around the house, checking things out. While she did find some things displeasing (I.E. The porn in the closet and the weapons in the desk), she was overall satisfied with how well the house was. Their was no damage sustained, such as broken bed frames or floorboards, the district he lived in was something common for a middle-class family (not a ninja neighborhood, so no women screaming when they saw a bloodied ninja), Kakashi had a rather large paycheck and most of it was saved up, so he could never worry about going bankrupt. The social worker walked into the kitchen and absolutely beamed at the sight. Kakashi, the great Copy-Nin, who wasn't afraid of anything, but had a slight grievance to hospitals…

Was running around the kitchen with Sakura on his back, pretending to be an airplane.

The social worker was amazed at how well those two had bonded in such a short time.

Somehow, Kakashi had gotten Sakura to not only come back to the Hokage and stay there, with no problems at all, but had managed to bond and have Sakura transform from a shy, nervous girl, to the most outgoing and good-natured young girl she should have been. Kakashi stopped running around after he saw the social worker and smiled a bright and genuine smile. "Are you done, Ms. Social Worker?" Kakashi asked gently, setting Sakura down on the ground.

"Mr. Hatake, I would be pleased if you called me Kaiyo. And, may I speak to you alone?"

Kakashi merely shrugged, and gently told Sakura to wait out in the living room with the Hokage. After she gave a small protest, she walked out, but not before sticking out her tongue and saying, "Bleagh!" Kakashi laughed, and Kaiyo couldn't help but join in. His laugh was contagious. "She's got spunk, I'll give her that." Kakashi managed to choke out before falling into airy chuckles. All Kaiyo could do was smile and nod her head. After they managed to calm down, Kaiyo decided to deliver the news.

"After analyzing your house thoroughly, and while I did find a few things displeasing, I am honestly impressed at the condition of your home. I give this home the 'okay' for housing a child."

Kaiyo burst out laughing as she watched Kakashi dance around the kitchen, whooping in delight. After the laughter and dancing died done, Kakashi beamed at Kaiyo before sweeping her up in his arms and swinging her around. "Thank you!" Kakashi yelled as the young woman laughed and squealed. Sakura and the Hokage came running in, Sakura innocently curious, and the Hokage completely outraged. Kakashi set Kaiyo down (more like dropped her) and swept Sakura in his arms, dancing around with her in his arms. Sakura squealed and laughed along with Kakashi. The Hokage was shocked as this sudden display from the normally quite and stoic man. _Maybe this will be good for Kakashi_ the Hokage thought gently. That thought ended when Kakashi turned and accidentally kissed him…

* * *

**XD ahahahahaha I really wanted to do that! Anyways, I know this chapter is short, but the next will be longer. And you guys thought I was dead! Well, I'm back with inspiration and a VENGEANCE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now, to figure how to write the next chappie... Flaaaaaa!**


	3. Chapter 3 Preview

Chapter 3

This is a sneak preview of Chapter 3. I figured I'd be nice and give you something to prove I'm working and not trapezeing of into the sunset and forgetting about you lot. This next chapter is going to be reeeeaaalllllllyyyyy long and explain a bit about the characters. But, mostly, it'll be more KakaxSaku fluff and the two weeks Sakura spends with Kakashi before judgement time. Enjoy!

* * *

With that, Kakashi left the room and grabbed some towels and an old t-shirt. He headed back and saw Sakura sitting by the tub, her fingers in the water. The tub was halfway full, so Kakashi shut it off. After a few awkward moments, Sakura was in the tub and Kakashi let her play before starting on her hair.

He took off his gloves and put some shampoo in his hands. He scrubbed her hair, being uncharacteristically gentle. Sakura paid no mind, but she was blushing gently at being… exposed, for the lack of a better word, in front of this man she hadn't known long.

After washing and drying, Sakura crawled into the bed in the guest room. Kakashi told her a story, gave a small kiss on the forehead, and walked off to his room. After stripping down to his boxers, he climbed into bed, the world slowly becoming dark.

"Momma… Come back… Don't die, don't die please… Come back…"

Kakashi held the child close, acknowledgement dawning his features. _'She had a nightmare probably,' _Kakashi thought sadly. Kakashi stood up with the child in his arms and carried her to his room. He sat down on his bed, Sakura on his lap.

"Sakura. Sakura, I want you to look at me. Look at me, it's okay. Just look at me, I'm not going to hurt you."

She finally gave in, looking up with her sad, green eyes. His coal black stared back, compassion and warmth radiating from those dark depths.

"Thata girl. It was just a dream, Sakura. Nothing is going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll protect you and take care of you. I promise. You're going to be okay."

Sakura shifted around before she raised her hand, her pinky extended. Kakashi smiled and wrapped his pinky around Sakura's.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight, Sakura?"

She nodded furiously before getting up and getting under the covers. Kakashi followed her lead and when he was settled, held Sakura close to him. For the first time since her parents died, Sakura slept soundly, dreaming about her new life…


	4. Chapter 3 Together

Chapter 3

*Kaiyo's P.O.V*

I have never laughed that hard in my entire 22 years of life. The world seemed to blur and tears ran down my cheeks. My side started to ache as I watched the two men pull apart. The Hokage was in a complete rage and Kakashi managed to look smug and sheepish at the same time.

Poor Sakura.

This is what she was possibly living with her entire life. But, it seemed she was taking it in good stride. In two weeks, she'll probably be happy and playing and the same child she was before her parents died. I left the kitchen so they wouldn't see my grimace. I had seen the bodies, and it had taken all my will power to not loose my lunch that day. I sat down on the couch, waiting for the Hokage to come so we could leave. "OW!" I burst out in laughter, imagining the giant bump forming on Kakashi's head.

I let out a sigh and thought back to the confusing young man. While he wanted to seem cold and distant, Sakura had managed to break through his hard barriers and brought the innocent and kind boy…

*Third Person P.O.V*

While Kaiyo was waiting patiently in the living room, lost in thought about the mysterious and confusing Copy-Nin, said Kakashi and Sakura were running around the kitchen, laughing with glee and trying to avoid the Big-Bad Hokage. The Hokage was red with anger and it took all his self-restraint to not yell words no child should hear. But the look on Sakura's face as Kakashi sprinted around the large kitchen managed to calm the feral beast. With a small grunt, the Hokage walked out to the living room, calling for Kaiyo to follow.

"One second, Hokage-sama!"

Kaiyo walked to the kitchen's doorway and held out a business card. Kakashi stared it for a moment before placing it by the phone on the counter.

"Call if you need help with anything, 'kay?"

And with that, Kaiyo turned on her heel and walked out with the Hokage, laughing at the pout forming on his face. Sakura waved goodbye before running back to Kakashi.

"Can we play some more, Kaka-kun?"

Kakashi broke out in a grin and placed Sakura on his back, running around the house. And that's how they spent the rest of the day. Kakashi and Sakura played, Sakura occasionally making small requests. When it started to become dark, only then did they stop playing and have dinner.

"What would you like to eat Sakura?"

Sakura was sitting at the table, pondering what she wanted to do before she went to bed. She raised her head and seemed to be surprised by this question. "I usually eat what the Hokage makes. And he doesn't make dinner much, but when he does it's just onigiri and some fish." Sakura seemed to fall back into the memories. She remembered going to bed hungry at times because the Hokage didn't come home. She knew he didn't mean to, but it was hard to not be rude.

Kakashi noticed Sakura had gone quiet and was beginning to worry. '_That damn man, did he ever feed her?' _Kakashi thought arrogantly. He walked over to Sakura and placed a hand on her cheek. She jolted awake and looked deep into Kakashi's dark eye.

"I'm asking Sakura what she wants to eat, not the Hokage. You're under my care now Sakura. I won't let you starve, okay?"

Sakura smiled brightly and nodded. She couldn't think of anything at that moment, but she decided she ask Kakashi for some ideas. Kakashi pondered Sakura's question before deciding to make miso soup with roasted eggplant. Sakura cheered at the thought of miso soup and Kakashi got to work. Kakashi decided now would be the perfect time to get to know Miss Sakura a little better.

"Sakura?"

"Hmm?" Sakura replied a bit tiredly.

Kakashi chuckled at the half-committed response. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green and Red. Why?"

Kakashi chuckled a little more. It was slightly surprising how she choose the two colors that described her. "Just want to get to know you a little better. What type of apples do you like?"

"Hm… Golden Delicious, I guess."

"What's your favorite candy?"

*"Cherry Blossoms! Do you have any more, by the way?"

Kakashi pointed towards the pantry and said, with a small laugh, "Eat only a small branch, please. You still need to eat dinner and I don't want it spoiled by sugar, okay?" Sakura only nodded and ran to the pantry. She chose a slightly small branch before coming back out and gnawing at it.

"What's your favorite food?"

"I have three! Syrup-covered anko dumplings, umeboshi, and animitsu. But I like the dumplings better than anything else."

"Do you take bathes during the day or the night?"

Sakura, a little surprised by this question, answered a little hesitantly, "At night usually. But sometimes during the day." Kakashi turned with two steaming bowls of miso soup and handed one to Sakura. She accepted it with good grace and started to gulp down with amazing speed. Kakashi grabbed her hand to stop her from going any faster. "Woah! Slow down kiddo, you go any faster, you might get burned or you might get the hiccups!" Sakura laughed sheepishly before looking around the table.

"Do you have anything to drink?"

Kakashi smiled before walking over to the fridge and pulling out some apple juice. Sakura smiled brightly before gently gulping some of it down. The rest of their meal was spent in pointless conversation, Kakashi asking pointless questions such as "Do you like dogs or cats better?", or "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Sakura, the dog loving, ninja wannabe, answered eagerly, happy to spend her time with Kakashi. Their meal long finished, Kakashi out put his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm, and asked in mock seriousness (Sakura could see he was pretending and followed up his pose),

"Do you want to go to the toy store tomorrow?"

Kakashi was sure his ears were bleeding at the shriek Sakura gave out. She jumped from her chair and started dancing around the kitchen, cheering and laughing and babbling nonsense. Kakashi calmed her down and managed to say between laughs, "Okay, I get it. Now go take a bath and get ready for bed. Since we have to go pick up your stuff tomorrow, you can use an extra toothbrush and clothes for tonight." Sakura nodded eagerly before zooming out. She was halfway towards the bathroom when she turned around. Kakashi, curious as to why, yelled out over his shoulder,

"Sakura, you okay?"

Sakura walked back into the kitchen, her bangs and hair covering her face but he saw a slight blush.

"Kaka-kun, could you, I mean you don't have to, but I wish you would, but can you, I mean, would you, I mean, please, oh, um, uh can you, please-"

Kakashi looked at the stuttering little girl, who was having the hardest time voicing her troubles. Kakashi could sort of guess what she wanted, but he still wanted to hear it from her.

"Kaka-kun *sigh* would you please… help me… take… a… bath?"

Sakura mumbled the last part, her face in her hands. She could die from embarrassment. Kakashi suddenly found interest in his shoes and decided that hearing it from Sakura was not the best. But, if he wanted to be a father figure, he should help Sakura… Right?

"I'll help you Sakura."

Sakura seemed to die from relief. With Sakura leading, they walked slowly towards the bathroom, Kakashi suddenly thinking this was a bad idea. But, when he looked back at the child, she seemed so small and helpless and she just wasn't getting the right care. And besides, he had grown kind of used to this little tyke. This had to happen eventually, whether now or when he gets married and has kids of his own.

They arrived at the bathroom, Kakashi feeling a little better, and Sakura thinking this was no different than with the Hokage or her babysitter she had before Momma and Daddy died. Kakashi gently pulled Sakura in and started the water. She squeaked a bit when it came out with a loud rumble.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this. Sakura smiled sheepishly before murmuring, "I don't like thunder…"

Kakashi nodded, now understanding. She had a fear of thunder, or more like thunder-like noise. '_She's young. She'll grow out of it.' _Kakashi thought. After adjusting the temperature of the water, Kakashi made Sakura test it to make sure it wasn't too hot or cold. She smiled instantly. "It's perfect!"

With that, Kakashi left the room and grabbed some towels and an old t-shirt. He headed back and saw Sakura sitting by the tub, her fingers in the water. The tub was halfway full, so Kakashi shut it off. After a few awkward moments, Sakura was in the tub and Kakashi let her play before starting on her hair.

He took off his gloves and put some shampoo in his hands. He scrubbed her hair, being uncharacteristically gentle. Sakura paid no mind, but she was blushing gently at being… exposed, for the lack of a better word, in front of this man she hadn't known long.

After washing and drying, Sakura crawled into the bed in the guest room. Kakashi told her a story, gave a small kiss on the forehead, and walked off to his room. After stripping down to his boxers, he climbed into bed, the world slowly becoming dark.

*Sakura P.O.V*

_Blood. It was all over the place, blinding, holding her down._

_Screams. Mother and father, they can't protect her anymore._

_Help! She needs help! Mother, she needs help, father, father…_

_Darkness. Smothering her, crushing her lungs, filling her with blood._

_Why? Why did they go? Why did they leave her here? Why, why why?_

_Blood. Choking her. Killing her. Claiming her. Taking away her only lights…_

*Third Person P.O.V*

Sakura jolted upwards and screamed. Nothing made sense and the world blurred before turning a deep shade of red. Kakashi had heard her screams and had bolted towards her room.

"Sakura what's wrong? Are you okay? Did you see something?"

Sakura was crying, tears running hot and salty. She paid no mind to Kakashi, crying and screaming. She was muttering something, talking too quickly and quietly for Kakashi to hope to catch. He walked slowly over and wrapped his arms around her. She responded by burring her head into his chest. Kakashi murmured gently to her, hoping to calm Sakura and get an answer. She stopped screaming and sobbed into his chest. Sakura cleared her throat and spoke in a timid whisper.

"Momma… Come back… Don't die, don't die please… Come back…"

Kakashi held the child close, acknowledgement dawning his features. _'She had a nightmare probably,' _Kakashi thought sadly. Kakashi stood up with the child in his arms and carried her to his room. He sat down on his bed, Sakura on his lap.

"Sakura. Sakura, I want you to look at me. Look at me, it's okay. Just look at me, I'm not going to hurt you."

She finally gave in, looking up with her sad, green eyes. His coal black stared back, compassion and warmth radiating from those dark depths.

"Thata girl. It was just a dream, Sakura. Nothing is going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll protect you and take care of you. I promise. You're going to be okay."

Sakura shifted around before she raised her hand, her pinky extended. Kakashi smiled and wrapped his pinky around Sakura's.

"Do you want to stay with me tonight, Sakura?"

She nodded furiously before getting up and getting under the covers. Kakashi followed her lead and when he was settled, held Sakura close to him. For the first time since her parents died, Sakura slept soundly, dreaming about her new life…

*Next Morning*

A coal black eye slowly opened, blinking rapidly, hoping to dispel the sleep trying to claim him again. He shook his head gently before thousands of things rushed in.

Kakashi looked down and saw Sakura slumbering peacefully, dry streaks of tears on her cheeks. Kakashi gently got up, replacing his arm with a pillow. He pulled on a t-shirt and sweats before walking to the kitchen.

He rummaged through the fridge and finding what he wanted, started on breakfast.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and, much like Kakashi, everything flooded in at once. In a few short seconds, she had cried, blushed, giggled, and sighed.

Sakura slowly got up and scents tickled her nose. She crawled out of bed and walked sleepily towards the kitchen. She kept sniffing the air, trying to discover what was being cooked.

Sakura padded into the kitchen and stood there silently for a few moments and watch Kaka-kun cook. He moved rather quickly, and while it was still slightly amateurish, she knew it would taste great.

She walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. It scraped against the floor, squeaks and sputters ringing out. She sat down on the chair and rested her head on the table.

"Don't fall asleep on me Sakura. We have tons of things to do, and I'll need you awake for it."

Sakura let out a half-hearted grunt before she lifted her head and smiled sleepily. Kakashi had turned away from his work and was staring at Sakura. His eye(s?) twinkled and even through the mask she could see a small smile.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Ka-ka-kun~."

**Okay, first, in my last chapter, I put a star-thing at the candy Kakashi gave Sakura. That is a made-up candy. You know those fake flowers, made of sugar and stuff? (Want a reference? Watch _Cake Boss _on TLC) It looks like Cherry Tree Branches and it's made of like modeling chocolate and sugar flowers.**

**Second, the way Sakura says Kakashi's name, she's exaggerating each syllable. It'd be same if she said it like, "Ka. Ka. Kun." Or "Ka. Ka. Shi. Kun." Just wanted that cleared up. BTW, I'm typing my chapters on Word, so this chapter is 5 pages, not the usual 3-4.**

**Told you it'd be longer… Reviews are appreciated!**


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